Physical health conditions in purpose built on-campus student housing: coping strategies of students living with disability in Ghana
摘要
Physical health conditions in student housing are threats to disability co-existence and well-being. However, the coping strategies of these physical health conditions in university housing have yet to be studied. Therefore, this study assesses the coping strategies among students living with disabilities (SWD) on physical health conditions in on-campus university housing in Ghana. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey and adaptive snowball sampling procedure to select 255 university students living with disabilities (SWD) in Ghana. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was adopted to analyze and test the coping strategies of the physical health conditions: lightning, noise, thermal comfort, and cleaning services. The results of the SEM showed a negative and significant contribution of coping strategies to physical health conditions among students with disabilities (SWD) in on-campus university housing in Ghana. The study further found that inadequate noise installation systems, thermal comfort, and lightning systems affect the comfort of SWD. Cleaning services were the only physical health condition that showed high satisfaction. Students’ coping strategies include frequent change of room as a significant noise managing strategy, spending more time outside the room as a primary indoor air and thermal comfort adaptation strategy, and hiring extra hands to support cleaning rooms and usable areas by SWD. The study suggests improving the physical health conditions of purpose-built on-campus university housing in Ghana, as well as preferences for students with disabilities during room selection at the beginning of the academic year.